Cooking Mama (Nintendo DS, 2006)

I already love to cook so when I heard about Cooking Mama I got excited. I debated for months on whether or not I should get it based on the mediocre and poor reviews I've seen elsewhere..mainly from people around my age (I am 23). Eventually, I decided to try it out for my self. I am glad I did!

You first start off with about 16 Japanese and American dishes. You can unlock more recipes as you master certain skills such as chopping, grating, measuring, etc. Some tasks are highly difficult for me such as peeling the potatos with the potato peeler, and cutting tough/thick cuts of meat completely before the timer runs out. That all just adds to the challenge for me. You can practice the recipes in practice mode before you are graded on them...still being timed though. When you feel confident enough, you can make the recipes for a score and medal in make mode. If you get everything right, you will receive a gold medal for that recipe or silver or bronze accordingly. The only weird thing is, if you fail at a task cooking mama's eyes go on fire...creepy! That's such a minor thing though.

The graphics are very bright and cheery...pretty cartoonish. The sound could not be any better. When things fry, you hear a clear frying noise, same with all the other tasks such as chopping, cracking eggs, etc. This game completely shows of the DS's stylus capabilities...the entire game is played with it. The stylus becomes the utensils. There are around 70 different recipes you can make total...some will be similar to others and require doing pretty much the same tasks. That what bores some people, but for me it's an exciting thing making each new recipe...especially since you really have no idea what you will unlock next. As I stated before, some recipes are American and some are Japanese. It's kind of interesting seeing how to make recipes from another country. Each recipe usually takes between about 1-3 minutes to make. This game is highly addictive, and if you dont spread out your time, it is very possible to finish the whole game in a short period of time. Even if you end up making all the recipes, it's fun to re make them just for the sake of it, or to get a higher score.

My younger sister is 11, and she enjoys this game probably more than I do. If you're into something that will make you think more or is more mature, then this game will not suit you. However, if you love to cook, or want to take a break from all those hard action games, then this is a sure winner.

Don't forget about Cooking Mama 2 coming out in a month or two I believe!!